


Follow the Sign

by lucathia



Series: The Impressive Adair of the Sun Knight Platoon [5]
Category: The Legend of the Sun Knight
Genre: A to Z drabble challenge, Alphabet Challenge, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, word count: 10000+
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-05 01:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucathia/pseuds/lucathia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finding the way back home isn't going to be an easy task, and returning with all of the missing knight-captains will be even harder, but Adair will accept no other outcome, no matter what universe he must travel through to locate them all. A series of snapshots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1: Assist

**Author's Note:**

> This is a response to the A to Z challenge I started over at [livejournal](http://lucathia-rykatu.livejournal.com/285495.html) where I asked people to give me words starting with each letter of the alphabet. I'll be writing a short response for each letter. The story branches off from V6C3, taking the "worst" outcome Sun outlined. Names and terminology mostly follow Prince Revolutions' translations.

"Adair... no, K-Knight-Captain S-Sun, what should we do now?"

The question comes haltingly. 

Adair stands in the middle of their destroyed city, face grim, surrounded by rubble. The vice-captains -- no, none of them are vice-captains anymore-- all look toward him, some with lost faces, some with despair, all with grief...

All waiting for his command.

The sight sends a pang through his heart.

He has never wanted to be the Sun Knight. He has never wanted to see such a sight before him, his fellow vice-captains all bereft of a leader. Tyler has only just taken up his vice-captain duties. He shouldn't have to be the Hell Knight again, perhaps for good this time. Vidar shouldn't have to school his expression into a thundering one, a poor imitation of the Judgment Knight's. None of them should have to do this. 

This isn't right.

How could things end up like this? Never, in all the years since the Church of the God of Light's establishment, has a disaster like this happened. Never before have all twelve of the knight-captains "perished" in duty, necessitating having every single vice-captain take over. Even more unheard of is having the Sun Knight replaced. Never has a Sun Knight ever been unable to continue his duty. 

Adair doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. His captain had always been exceptional. Of course something like this would happen during his captain's time in office. Adair wouldn't have wanted his captain to be any different. Really, he wouldn't...

But he still finds it hard to believe that it has come to this.

Adair knows that he should take command now. They all need someone to tell them what to do, and they expect him to be that someone. It is what his captain commanded him to do. If the Twelve Holy Knights were to perish, Adair will take command of the Holy Temple, and all of the vice-captains will immediately take over the knight-captains' positions, ensuring that things will return to normal as soon as possible, and the public will not have to feel any unease. 

Adair _knows_ this. He does. He knows that the new "Twelve Holy Knights" before him need to be told what to do. He knows that the public wants to hear that everything is well in hand. He knows everyone wants reassurance.

He knows. 

But...

He tightens his grip on the paper in his hand, the document that details that he is now the Sun Knight.

Who, in turn, will tell him what to do?

* * *

Adair tries. He smiles. He directs. He answers to "Sun." He helps rebuild Leaf Bud City. But he can't help feeling that something is fundamentally wrong. 

He's empty. 

Directionless. 

Being the leader of the Holy Temple isn't his calling.

He lives to assist. 

He wants his captain back.

* * *

When Adair makes his announcement, they all look at him like he has gone crazy. Maybe he has. But he finds that he is fine about being thought of as crazy, and hasn't he already stuck around long enough? He has done his duty.

If insanity is what it takes, then so be it. Adair will do anything for his captain. 

Even if it means disobeying his captain's final wishes.

Adair hands over hair dye to a wide-eyed Ed. Ed, whose hair is brown. Far from golden. He'll need the hair dye.

"I abdicate my position to Ed. I declare him to be the next Sun Knight," Adair says. 

Ed's jaw drops wide open. 

"Careful," Adair admonishes. "Don't forget you need to be graceful from now on."

* * *

Adair stands above a cliff and stares down into the endless chasm. He wonders how far down the bottom is. Try as he might, he can't see it. 

When he jumps, will he die? This time, there is no Grisia Sun around to heal his injuries. There are no sun knights around to support him either. He made sure he wasn't followed. 

But, Adair doesn't hesitate. He doesn't close his eyes. One of the first things he learned after assuming the position of Grisia Sun's vice-captain was having faith. For his captain, he could jump off a cliff one hundred times even if he doesn't know what the outcome will be or why he's doing it.

Blind faith, huh? He needs that now. 

Adair takes a deep breath. 

He is as ready as he can be.

He spreads his arm out. 

Without any further thought, he jumps, taking the leap of his life.

The wind rushes up around him. His hair flaps, whipping him in the face. It's growing a little long.

As he hoped, darkness spreads around him, and he continues to fall.

He falls and falls. He never reaches the bottom. How long has he been falling? How long will he continue to fall? How long...

With a gasp, the darkness around him bursts into sharp light before fading into a subdued evening glow, and Adair finds himself underneath a table in the middle of what seems to be a market of some sort. 

His head hurts. He must have hit it. Maybe on the table.

The place smells like vegetables and meat.

The Pope and Aldrizzt were correct.

The cliff was a dimensional rift. The darkness that swallowed the knight-captains must have had the same effect as one. 

Adair pats himself, making sure he has everything. Rose bracelet from the Pope, check. Leaf bracelet from Aldrizzt, check. Teleportation scrolls from Princess Alice, check. Divine Sun Sword hanging by his waist, check. Roland's sword hanging by the other side of his waist, check. Eternal Tranquility tucked behind his tunic, check. 

He breathes in deeply, the smell of onions almost making his eyes water. There's a stray onion underneath the table.

He's here. Perhaps he's on a wild goose chase. Perhaps he will never be able to return home. But, he's here. There's hope. He'll find them all. All twelve of them.

Just as he's thinking this, dark boots stop by Adair's face. Adair freezes. 

A soft voice sounds. A man's voice. Most likely talking to the merchant. "Thank you for the meat. My family really appreciates your generosity."

Adair tries to relax. He hasn't been discovered.

But the soft voice continues. "By the way, do you know that there is a man underneath your table?"


	2. Part 2: Backstreet

He was caught. Right away too.

Adair has no choice but to climb out from beneath the table. He takes a quick glance at his surroundings and mentally goes through the items in his possession. He decides that the leaf bracelet is his safest bet as an excuse. It's not a great excuse, but Adair has never needed his excuses to be great. It's the way he delivers them that really matters. He is pretty sure he can make anything sound sincere.

"My apologies, I was looking for my bracelet," he says and lifts his arm to show the bracelet to the man who caught him. He fiddles with it, pretending that he has just put the bracelet back on his wrist. As Adair speaks, he catalogs all he sees around him and immediately realizes that he is not going to have an easy time in this foreign world.

The man before him, unlike the rest of the people about the marketplace, is wearing a long coat on top of a black vest and black dress pants. He is also wearing a hat, and from beneath that hat trails a long ponytail. Like his clothes, his hair is black. He would have fit in nicely with the Judgment Knight Platoon with his monochrome palette. The only bit of color on him is the red, fluttering piece of cloth he has around his neck and his red hair tie. His attire makes him stand out like a sore thumb, as he is pretty much covered from head to toe despite the weather not calling for such a way of dressing. 

Adair is pretty sure, however, that the man isn't sticking out as much as Adair currently is in his sun knight uniform, blinding white embroidered with gold, complete with white gloves and boots, two swords by his waist. He hears a whisper of, "Is that man cosplaying?" but the words make little sense to Adair. 

"Charles is glad you have found your lost item," the man says with a pleasant smile on his face, making no comment about Adair's clothes and swords, as if Adair isn't completely sticking out. 

Adair gives him a nod. He also apologizes to the merchant whose table he was under. The merchant is the one who eyes Adair's two swords in distrust. 

"Swords, huh? Youngsters nowadays rarely choose swords. It's all guns and stuff. Don't tell me you're playing at being a hero?"

"I prefer swords," Adair fibs. He hasn't the faintest clue what a gun is to have any sort of preference between swords and guns, and he doesn't have enough information to make a call on the "hero" comment, so he opts to leave that part of the question unanswered. 

"You're in the minority then," the merchant replies. 

"Ah, I am indeed. I like being traditional," Adair ventures to say.

"I guess that explains your clothes!" the merchant laughs.

Adair smiles, glad that the merchant seemed to buy his explanation. 

However, he is pretty sure the man called Charles, despite his pleasant smile and kind green eyes, did not buy into that explanation at all.

Adair doesn't really care as long as his mission won't be affected.

* * *

In the following days, Adair stays close to the marketplace. It's always bustling with activity, a great place to acquire information. 

Adair doesn't exactly fit in, but he isn't entirely an anomaly either. The people in this world know the language of fighting, and to that Adair is no stranger. When a group of thugs gang up on him at night, cornering him in the backstreet, thinking him to be an easy target, Adair proves them completely and utterly wrong. At first, they laugh at him, taunting him with words like, "wannabe hero," "go play dress-up with your dolls," and such.

They don't laugh for long. 

(They really need some lessons on how to gang up on someone properly. Truly, they have nothing on the Sun Knight Platoon.)

As compensation for the lesson Adair kindly taught them, Adair takes their clothes and money. It solves several of his problems and helps him fit in much better. 

From the fight, Adair learns that many people have modified their bodies to improve their fighting capabilities, but their enhancements are nothing special in Adair's eyes. After all, he has seen more impressive feats from the Twelve Holy Knights. Thus, Adair doesn't spend much time thinking about the enhancements.

Instead, he pays more attention to the moving pictures he sees around him. They're practically everywhere, displayed in shops and the like. In these moving pictures, the people featured are not actually there. Adair watches as people flit around inside the pictures. Sometimes, the pictures seem to show make believe stories. Sometimes, the pictures seem to act like the newspapers of his world, giving people information about things. 

Through these moving pictures, Adair learns of the existence of "heroes" who protect the city from harm. The Noblewoman, Solitary Butterfly, a lady who wields dual guns, protects the north. (He makes notes of what guns look like as the news zooms in on Solitary Butterfly's hands.) The Aristocrat, First Wind, a man who wears a white suit and wields energy whips, protects the west. The Beast, Dragon Peace, a man slash beast who seems to only show up at night, protects the south. The Grim Reaper, a man who wields a scythe, protects the east. Whenever a situation arises, one of the heroes appear sooner or later to deal with it. The moving pictures follow them, treating them like celebrities. Adair already knows, however, that it isn't possible for these four heroes to protect the entire city. Adair's experiences from his short stay already attest to that. If he weren't a holy knight, he would not have walked away unscathed from being surrounded by thugs. And yet, no heroes showed up to "save" him. 

Still, Adair thinks that these heroes perhaps serve a similar function to the Twelve Holy Knights back in his world. They exist to protect the citizens and to give them hope. Whether or not they can personally protect each and every citizen is an entirely different matter. They inspire faith just by existing.

Adair watches in fascination. The heroes even wear masks, just like the twelve, except these masks are actual, physical masks. At least these heroes have the chance to take off their masks, to have some separation between duty and self, unlike his knight-captains. 

He is content to stay on the sidelines -- the heroes have little to do with his mission -- until he hears, through a little box that can speak and sing, the name of the fourth hero, the name of the Grim Reaper -- _Dark_ Sun.

Immediately upon hearing the name, Adair's heart starts beating wildly. He can't help hoping. He wants to believe. 

Even if he will be greeted by dark hair and wild laughter, dark eyes that don't recognize him, Adair wants to believe. 

It's better than not finding him at all. 

Adair decides to acquire a mask. He puts his sun knight uniform back on. It will make a suitable hero outfit. He really must thank the thugs for giving him such an ingenious idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't figured it out, this first crossover canon is No Hero! It is another light novel series by Yu Wo. Not much of it has been translated to English yet. I will try to keep plot-related spoilers to a minimum. We won't be going very deep into the No Hero verse.


	3. Part 3: Battle

On the TV screen, images of a wild chase flash by. The news reporter excitedly shouts, "A group of criminals has escaped the police and has taken hostages! Will a hero come in time to save the hostages?"

The scene on the television changes to show several police on motorcycles chasing after the criminals. The criminals have stolen a truck and are using the hostages as shields. Several cars swerve out of the way of the speeding truck, resulting in screeching tires and overturned cars.

"Which hero will it be this time? Will it be the Beast with his inhuman strength?"

The truck brushes past a pole, knocking out one of its own side-view mirrors.

"Or will it be the Aristocrat with a snap of his deadly energy whip?"

The truck abruptly turns to escape the police's barricade.

"Might it be the Noblewoman even though this is outside of her area of protection?"

Gunshots fire out from the truck in warning.

"Or will it be the most elusive hero of all--"

Before the reporter can finish her sentence, the cameras zoom in on a figure clad in white standing in the middle of the road, right smack in the path of the speeding truck. A glint off of a white mask lined with gold causes the reporter to shout into her microphone.

"Is it First Wind after all?"

The blond hair is similar to First Wind's, but the two swords by his waist are not First Wind's weapon of choice. One is white with gold decorating the scabbard and hilt, just like his mask and outfit. The other is completely black, a dark, gleaming black, completely the opposite of the other sword. 

The reporter shouts, "No! It's not any of the four great heroes! I repeat! It's not any of the four great heroes!"

The criminals don't think anything of it, merely stepping on the gas even more. Gunshots fire out in warning, but with a running start, the white-clad figure leaps right onto the back of the truck, taking out the three men in the back, one with a kick, the next two with each of his swords.

"It's Dual Blade!"

The driver rams the gas pedal and pulls the wheel with a hard jerk, intending to throw the "hero" in the back of the truck out. The criminal in the passenger seat turns and even gives up shooting from the open window, deeming it too slow. Instead, bullets break the glass separating them, the bullets flying straight at the hero.

The hero does not dodge. There are hostages behind him. He swings his swords, a gust of an unseeable force deflecting the bullets. Then, he rushes forward and knocks both of the criminals out. The truck careens forward. A large honk sounds when the criminal's face smashes into the steering wheel. The hero grabs the hostages and leaps out of the truck. They land safely on the street as the car crashes into a building.

"He does it again! Dual Blade saves the day again!"

"Who is this new hero? This isn't the first time he's shown up!"

"Does he know he is trespassing on the territories of established heroes?"

"The hostages don't care! They're thanking him with all their heart!"

All through the evening, the news speculate on the new hero. Who is he? Does he have any modifications? Where has he come from? How is he able to deflect those bullets? Is that some sort of new technology?

The footage is replayed again and again. Excitement runs through the city at this new hero.

Just who is he?

* * *

The question is never far from everyone's minds. 

Who is this new hero? 

(Is he here to stay?)

"Dual Blade! Just who are you?" a news reporter asks the next time Dual Blade appears.

Dual Blade glances toward the cameras. "I am a holy knight. I seek the sun."

 _A holy knight? What's a holy knight?_ Everyone can't help wondering. They don't really pay attention to the part about seeking the sun.

With a dazzling, golden glow surrounding his sword, he slashes his next foe, defeating him and giving him a huge gash. Just as the media gasps over the hero's ruthlessness, a soft glow surrounds the fallen criminal, healing him just enough that he can be rushed to the hospital. 

So that's a holy knight? A knight who possesses "holy abilities?" 

Thus, by defeating his enemies with his swords and healing them right after with a strange light that the scientists have yet to decipher, Dual Blade earns himself the title, "The Holy Knight, Dual Blade."

* * *

Charles is surprised upon seeing "Dual Blade" begin appearing on the news. Isn't that the man who was under the table in the market? He is even wearing the same clothes.

"Young Master, Charles knows this man," he says in the middle of serving breakfast.

Even the silver-haired young master of this pleasant butler is intrigued by the new hero. "How does he do it?" An Xiang Ye asks. "He doesn't have any modifications! Did you see any modifications on him?"

Nowadays, modifications are all the rage. Humans who have no modifications stand no chance.

Charles shakes his head. "No, but Charles has not always been able to tell."

Just like with First Wind and Dark Sun, Charles was not able to tell.

"I'll have to see for myself then," An Xiang Ye says. "He seems interesting!"

"Yes, indeed, he seems interesting," Charles says, recalling the aura he felt from meeting the man. He is not a non-human, and he has no modifications. Yet, he does not feel like any other humans Charles knows. Just being near him is as uncomfortable as standing outside in direct sunlight! While vampires can stand in the sun, direct sunlight is not all that comfortable, which is why Charles always makes sure to completely cover himself during the daytime.

However, despite the discomfort, Charles is a vampire who will not stop going out during the day. He is one who will not stop seeking out the light.

An Xiang Ye blinks as he polishes off his food, the six servings of breakfast in front of him disappearing without a trace. "Wow, Charles, if even you say he's interesting, then he must be really interesting!"

* * *

Despite the name he makes for himself, no one that Adair knows comes to find him. He has made sure to be as flashy as possible, to use abilities that the knight-captains would definitely recognize, such as flashing his battle aura and tossing around healing spells, but nothing happens. Perhaps none of the knight-captains are here in this world. Perhaps Dark Sun has no connection with who Adair is thinking of. 

He doesn't know how his name became "Dual Blade" when he wanted everyone to know him as a holy knight, but at least he manages to make "Holy Knight" part of his title.

(His plan was to call himself "Sun Seeker" so that the knight-captains would immediately make the connection, but that doesn't work out. No one even considers the name since they already have a hero with "Sun" in his name. Adair doesn't know if he should be glad or not that the trite name did not take. He has even considered the name "Awaitsun," but that would perhaps give the knight-captains the wrong impression.).

The first of the four great heroes to approach Adair is First Wind. With his blond hair, white clothes, and blue collar, he could be a part of the Sun Knight Platoon with no problem, and he even has the elegant manner expected of a sun knight (not that most holy knights in the Sun Knight Platoon even possess such elegance themselves, but that's beside the point).

"Do you plan on taking over Dragon Peace's territory?" First Wind asks. "The south is under his protection."

"Don't you and another hero protect this area during the day?" Adair asks in reply, hands loosely placed on his swords. 

Adair chose the south precisely because it is Dragon Peace's territory. He has learned that Dragon Peace never shows up during the day. Instead, First Wind and Dark Sun both protect the south as best as they can during the day despite it not being under their zone of protection. For Adair, this is as close to neutral territory as he can get.

"Yes. We heroes believe in giving each other a helping hand." First Wind pauses and looks Adair over. "Are you a hero, or are you merely a fame seeker? If you wish to help protect the south, we welcome you, but we do not need anyone half-hearted who will give up after having their fun."

"I seek no fame," Adair replies. "I only seek the sun."

"The sun?" First Wind gazes upward at the burning orb hanging in the sky. "That sun? Or perhaps you mean... Dark Sun?"

As they speak, a dark shadow covers the sun, as if summoned by First Wind's words.

First Wind exclaims, "Dark Sun!"

Adair turns.

A pair of metal wings and silver hair steal his breath, the expanse of the wings so wide that the sun is completely blocked.

However, this is not his captain.


	4. Part 4: Bet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers up to V1 of No Hero.

"You have been looking for me."

A statement, not a question.

Indeed, Adair has wanted to meet Dark Sun in person, Dark Sun, who is a complete opposite of his captain, just like his name suggests. If Adair's captain represents brilliance and benevolence, the warm embrace of the sun's rays, then Dark Sun is the absence of it, a departure from light, a shadow cast by flames that might one day swallow up those very flames.

Dark Sun is an executioner, not unlike the Judgment Knight.

Adair isn't greeted by dark hair and wild laughter. Rather, it's cold, silver hair and an inscrutable face.

Dark Sun isn't his captain. 

But even so, his name must be a sign. 

Although the Pope did not know where Adair would end up, he was sure that Adair would end up somewhere with a clue to the knight-captains' whereabouts. 

_"As long as you have the Divine Sun Sword with you, it will lead you to them. Your paths are bound to cross... I think."_

Somewhat sure, at least.

It's more than Adair can ask for.

For now, this is where Adair's path leads him. 

A gamble it may be, but it's his best bet under the current situation.

It will do.

"Yes," Adair answers. "I ask for your help. In return, I have important news for the heroes."

To the side, First Wind asks, "Why have you sought Dark Sun in particular?"

Why not another hero? Sunset City has more than one hero.

"Only because he reminds me of what I seek."

And because, for a wild second, Adair hoped it would be that easy.

It isn't, of course.

* * *

The tale is a farfetched one, but it's the truth as Adair knows it.

All worlds exist in balance.

When the balance of one world is disrupted in the way Adair's world was, the collapse of that world will spread and bring about a corrosion of the rest. Only when the balance of that first world is restored will the corrosion stop.

So explained the Pope to Adair, and so Adair explains now to the heroes of this world. 

"Darkness has overtaken my world," Adair says. "It is spreading, even now. Our only hope of stopping it is lost. While it is still conjecture on our part, we believe that the repercussions will eventually spread across the different worlds. If so, you might have already noticed the effects."

This is the first world Adair has come across. He doesn't yet know if what they surmised will come true, but his guide says it will, and if she isn't an expert, then Adair doesn't know who would count as one.

"I wish for your help in finding my companions. Finding them will restore the balance to the worlds, and thus your world will be saved as well."

What Adair doesn't mention is that he doesn't really care what happens to the other worlds. Well, he _does_ care, but it far pales to his actual goal. 

What he truly cares about is finding them.

Finding _him_. 

Perhaps this world is doomed. Perhaps it isn't. Perhaps it will thrive. Perhaps it will be devoured by darkness. 

Perhaps.

There are all sorts of perhaps out there, but none of them matter to Adair. All Adair needs at the moment is a reason for them to help him. If it really does benefit them, all the better for everyone. 

"That's a difficult story you're asking us to believe," First Wind says, but despite his doubt, he has put away his energy whip. "Do you at least have proof that you are from a different world?"

"I do not know if this will serve as proof, but from what I've seen, it doesn't seem that your people know how to do this."

After speaking, Adair casts a Minor Heal on First Wind.

Startled, First Wind flexes his hand, testing how it feels. Then, he looks up in wonder. "Have you been modified? Experimented on? I've never seen such an ability before."

Hm, so healing isn't enough as proof. Despite not being an "ability" the hero has seen before, the hero seems to believe that it could result from the modifications and experiments of this world. 

"Take off your mask," Dark Sun suddenly says. Adair looks towards him, this hero whose identity is hidden behind a visor. His metal wings gleam under the sun. "If you are from this world, I will know."

Asking a hero to unmask himself is something that is never done. The heroes have always had a tacit understanding that they are never to dig around about each other's identity. However, "Dual Blade" isn't really here to be a hero. He is even claiming that he is from a different world, and that this world is in danger. Dark Sun cannot allow any such danger to remain.

When it all comes down to it, whether or not Adair wears a mask truly matters little to Adair. He only wears one to follow the example set by the heroes. So, he simply takes off the mask like asked. 

For a moment, no one moves. 

Then, green text runs across Dark Sun's visor. His voice is monotonous, like he is reciting something. 

"You do not exist in any databases. There are no records of you at all until you showed up out of the blue in the marketplace. Conclusion. There is a 90% chance you are speaking the truth."

It's enough for First Wind, and almost enough for Dark Sun.

But Dark Sun won't leave anything to chance, not even 10%.

Adair tells them more.

* * *

Instead of directly returning inside the apartment, Dark Sun lands on the rooftops. The guards there relax when they recognize him and back down, a great improvement from the time they thought him to be an enemy and shot him down.

Standing up, Dark Sun tucks away his wings. He stares across the rooftops into the shadows, at the darkness that laps unevenly around the edges of the buildings.

After several moments pass, Dark Sun makes his way down into the apartment. He enters through a secret passageway and takes off his visor. Not long after, freshly changed and tidied up, An Xiang Ye emerges from his room, looking every bit like a young college student instead of a seasoned hero. Dressed as a hero, one might call his silver hair cold and dangerous, but as his unassuming college self, his silver hair is soft and inviting, often making others wish they can touch it. 

He even does his homework like a good student. However, while typing his report, he is also searching up information on any abnormalities that might hint at a subtle collapse of the world. This is not a danger that An Xiang Ye has prepared for. It is not an enemy that he can beat up or physically defeat. But it is still one that he must take care of. 

It isn't that An Xiang Ye loves the world and cares about its general well being. 

It isn't that he doesn't care either. 

But his first priority will always be his brother. This risk is almost like global warming, a phenomenon that will affect the entire world, but while global warming is low risk where his brother is concerned, as it won't affect him during his lifetime, this new risk is much higher.

He needs more information.

The delicious aroma of chicken pulls An Xiang Ye away from his research and reminds him that he has someone he can ask. He makes his way to the dining table. Dishes of all kinds are spread across the table, and his butler Charles pulls out a chair for him. 

An Xiang Ye sits down and asks, "Charles, can you tell me more about the Dark Realm?"

There is almost nothing An Xiang Ye can't look up on his own, but the realm of non-humans is one such exception. Most of what An Xiang Ye knows is what his butler Charles told him last time. As a vampire, Charles knows a lot more about the Dark Realm than he knows.

The Dark Realm has never been well documented. 

And now, it seems to be in fluctuation, alarmingly similar to Dual Blade's descriptions of the lands of darkness of his world.


	5. Part 5: Belief

Over and over, the news stations replay the meeting between the three heroes.

"I seek the sun," the Adair on the screen says.

If the knight-captains are here, they would have heard of him by now.

They're... not here. Unless they're incapacitated and can't come to him. But if they're not here, why has he landed in this world? 

He bows his head, deep in thought, and traces the designs on the Divine Sun Sword. The sword is warm, almost like it is alive. Does it know where its owner has gone?

Thankfully, Adair is not alone in his search.

**_"I can't sense him."_** A female voice comes from the Eternal Tranquility that lies against Adair's chest. **_"The dark element is overpowering in this world too, but it's still nothing like what Grisia was giving off when he vanished into the darkness."_**

Adair isn't well versed in psychic magic. He does his best, trying to think back at her, **_"What about the other knight-captains?"_**

**_"There is a presence, but I do not know what it might signify."_ **

Adair frowns, wishing for something more concrete than that. But a lead is a lead.

He _must_ believe.

He will find them. 

He will find them all.

* * *

Adair runs in the mornings.

Although he isn't home and isn't required to run laps around the city, Adair does it anyway. He wasn't able to stop himself from running laps back home in the countryside even when he was given time off. He is even less able to stop himself now, not when he is so restless.

He'll take any semblance to normalcy he can find.

The skies are still dark, barely painted in hues of orange and red. Adair jogs along the streets, on what he has learned is the sidewalk. The scenery is completely different from Leaf Bud City's, the streets paved with a material far sturdier than cobblestone. He weaves between tall buildings and shops that are still closed, the streets all but empty except for a few early risers and some stragglers who never made it home.

Despite the difference in the scenery, jogging is jogging.

It clears Adair's mind.

The morning air is crisp. Red gives way to bright sunlight and elongated shadows. As Adair approaches a water fountain, he crosses paths with a young man with silver hair. He is enjoying a morning jog as well.

A glance, and the young man smiles at Adair.

It is an angelic smile, and perhaps he really means it, but Adair has seen his share of benevolent smiles that aren't quite what they seem, and the young man's silver hair immediately brings to mind the hero that Adair met the other day. Perhaps silver hair isn't uncommon here, and the length isn't even the same, but the young man's build is.

**_"Hm, what do we have here?"_** His guide asks.

Adair asks in return, **_"So, you think so too?"_**

An affirmative noise confirms Adair's guess.

**_"Same elemental composition. Overwhelming metal element. I've never seen the likes from any human before, except from that Grim Reaper hero. Is he even human?"_ **

Overwhelming metal element?

Adair recalls those expansive wings. Perhaps his elemental composition is because of those wings, but all Adair can do is guess, as well as wonder where those wings have gone.

They merely nod at each other in passing, the water from the fountain rising up between them, separating them. Their gazes meet for but a moment through the water, and then they're on their own once more.

The young man jogs on ahead, sometimes flipping himself over bushes, sometimes leaping over railings, sometimes sidestepping orange cones. It's not quite just running. It's like the entire world in front of him is his obstacle course, yet he navigates it with ease and grace. 

The duality that this young man presents is so achingly familiar—grace and kindness laced with mercilessness and darkness—that Adair cannot help but watch him all the way until he turns the corner, all the way until Adair can no longer see him.

* * *

But even out of sight, there are posters of the silver-haired jogger everywhere.

When Adair sees them, his lips lift up at the corners.

In the posters, he is dressed from head to toe in pristine white, appearing young and innocent. No one could ever imagine him to be the same executioner who descends from the sky with cold, metal wings.

There's no doubt about it. If Adair's world had the means to do so, surely his captain's image would line the walls just like this man's. However, instead of being dressed completely in white, gold and blue would line his white uniform, and his trademarked Sun Knight smile would complete the picture. 

The epitome of benevolence. No one would suspect otherwise in his case either.

Adair slows down, a pained smile coming across his face. He rests his hand against the hilt of the Divine Sun Sword and whispers, "Captain, please be safe."

* * *

An Xiang Ye observes Dual Blade on the security cameras. His bodyguards do the same. Crossing paths with him in the mornings allows An Xiang Ye to observe him even more.

Dual Blade is an actor. An Xiang Ye knows it. He is one himself, pretending to be a normal boy. Normal youngsters would know how to hold conversations about random things. Normal youngsters would be able to sing at karaoke places without earning strange looks. An Xiang Ye isn't normal, but he practices so he can pass off as normal.

Dual Blade does much the same. He is unfamiliar with many things. He doesn't understand traffic lights. He doesn't know what cars are. He's surprised by automatic doors. 

He doesn't really show his unfamiliarity much, but An Xiang Ye can see the slight tensing of his shoulders at a yellow light, the tiny furrow between his brows at the zooming cars, and the 0.1 centimeter downturn of his lips at the automatic sliding doors of the convenience store. He masks his unfamiliarity well, never letting it hinder him. He takes but a moment to observe and then copies the people around him, trying to pass off as normal. It's as if he was never confused.

If it isn't because An Xiang Ye is who he is, he might not have noticed. But since he can see even the smallest tells, he understands it well.

Dual Blade is indeed a stranger to this world.

An Xiang Ye continues to research and plan.

* * *

On the monitors, nothing is happening.

And that's strange.

One of An Xiang Ye's bodyguards, a man named May, switches the screen to a different security camera to get a better look.

The rooftop is completely still.

He switches to another security camera, one that sweeps the area.

He is immediately taken aback.

The surrounding rooftops aren't the least bit vacant. They’re teeming with bodies—non-humans? May isn’t sure. But they’re all facing the same direction.

The supposedly vacant rooftop in the center.

He quickly switches back to the previous security camera, zooming in on the first rooftop.

He takes a good, hard look, staring at the dark, unlit rooftop.

He sees it.

There, in the darkness of the night, a faint glow pulses.


End file.
